Serkan Kaptan: “Antalya will lead Turkey to global aviation leadership”
Turkey’s tourism capital, Antalya, is becoming one of the world’s key aviation centres thanks to an €850 million redevelopment project launched by TAV Airports and Fraport. Business in Turkey conducted an exclusive interview with TAV Airports CEO Serkan Kaptan regarding the future of Antalya Airport and the evolving dynamics of the aviation sector.
Kaptan stated that, with the completion of the investment, Antalya Airport’s annual capacity will reach 80 million passengers. “Antalya is the top destination in Turkey for international traffic. Therefore, it’s critical that the infrastructure here delivers the highest level of passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency,” he said.
Antalya on Track to Become Europe’s Largest
Kaptan outlined the rationale for the redevelopment project: “Antalya has the highest tourism potential in the Mediterranean basin. For this reason, we redesigned the infrastructure with a long-term vision.”
Under the new agreement signed at the end of 2021, TAV and Fraport—operators of Antalya Airport since 2018—secured operational rights until 2052. Over this period, €7.25 billion + VAT will be paid to the Turkish government in lease payments.
As of April 2025, the first phase of the project includes:
-
Expansion of the T2 international terminal to 225,000 m²
-
Expansion of the domestic terminal to 75,000 m² (doubling its size)
-
Tripling of commercial areas
-
Increase in aircraft parking capacity to 202
-
Expansion of apron area by 1.4 million m²
Leading the Green Transition: LEED Gold, Solar Power, Carbon-Neutral Goals
Kaptan also emphasised the project’s sustainability goals, noting that Antalya Airport’s T2 and T4 terminals are candidates for LEED Gold certification. The airport already holds Level 3+ Carbon Neutral accreditation.
As part of the first phase, a 4 MW solar power plant was established. TAV has also launched renewable energy projects that supply one-third of the energy needs for its airports in İzmir, Bodrum, and Ankara.
2024: A Record Year for Passenger Traffic
In 2024, Antalya Airport:
-
Served 38 million passengers
-
Offered flights to 229 destinations in 52 countries
-
Partnered with 105 airlines
-
Handled 31.7 million international and 6.6 million domestic passengers
Kaptan commented on the achievement: “Antalya continues to show strong growth potential in the short and medium term. This increase in capacity will support the development of airlines that use the city as a hub.”
TAV’s Global Strategy: Digitalisation, Risk Management, and Technology Export
Highlighting the sector’s rapid recovery post-pandemic, Kaptan said, “We did not halt our investments even during times of crisis. We’ve invested nearly €2.5 billion over the last four years.”
He also revealed that TAV aims to make all its airports carbon neutral by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Currently, four of its airports are carbon neutral, and 11 are part of the ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation) programme.
